The national press were out in force to witness the Premier League clash and the talk beforehand - and afterwards - was about Jurgen Klopp’s decision to drop underfire keeper Loris Karius and recall Simon Mignolet. But what did they have to say about Aitor Karanka’s Boro? Philip Tallentire takes a closer look.

The Times

The Riverside is supposed to be a bogey ground for Liverpool, their last win here having come in 2002, but last night the hoodoo was emphatically lifted.

Victory served as the perfect antidote to the noise that has engulfed the club in the build-up, with Klopp’s decision to reinstate Simon Mignolet at the expense of Karius passing without any real test. Mignolet even enjoyed the luxury of chalking up a mini-milestone to boot — this was his 50th clean sheet for the club, and the superiority Liverpool exerted was barely reflected by the final scoreline.

It was a display which owed everything to patience, initially, before an elated Jürgen Klopp watched his players, inspired by two goals from Adam Lallana and a fifth in as many games from the in-form Divock Origi, rip Middlesbrough to shreds.

Adam Lallana scores Liverpool's first goal against Boro

The Sun

If looks could kill, then Jurgen Klopp would now be floating down the Tees.

Loris Karius was delivering death stares to the Liverpool manager following his decision to stick the calamity keeper out on the substitutes’ bench.

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Instead, the frustrated £4.7million German saw Simon Mignolet — playing his first league game since September — deliver a crucial save just moments after Adam Lallana scored the first of his two goals in one of his best performances for the club.

Boro are normally pretty solid and boss Aitor Karanka will be concerned by how they fell to pieces.

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The Independent

Liverpool avoided a drama morphing into a crisis with a controlled and comfortable victory over unambitious Middlesbrough. Jurgen Klopp had made the dramatic call of dropping under-scrutiny goalkeeper Loris Karius and replacing him with Simon Mignolet, but to Klopp’s pleasure and perhaps relief, this was all about Liverpool at the other end of the pitch.

Mignolet made a couple of saves in the first half, but Boro are a cautious team. This had been a difficult place for Liverpool - it was a first win on Teesside since 2002 - but not tonight. Boro now face a nervy 90 minutes with Swansea here on Saturday.

As a predictably cagey opening unfolded, Karius may have reflected from the bench that this was an ideal game in which to play. Middlesbrough, the lowest scorers in the division, were unlikely to mount a bombardment.

Jurgen Klopp and Aitor Karanka

The Guardian

Liverpool started steadily after dropping points in their last two games but when they hit their stride Middlesbrough were simply no match. If the hosts’ manager, Aitor Karanka, was being brutally honest a three-goal defeat was probably not the worst result.

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Each goal was the result of sharp team interplay and Lallana’s fine campaign continues. He opened the scoring with a header, set up Divock Origi for the second and made the points secure with a brilliant third, as Liverpool went above Arsenal in the Premier League to second place.

Daily Telegraph

Middlesbrough held their own in the first half, but some of Liverpool’s pass-and-move football was a joy to watch and the way they moved through the gears in the second half was like a sports car pulling away from a family saloon. Middlesbrough are solid and reliable, but Liverpool have a touch of class.

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Mignolet did not have much to do, but he did what was needed with confidence and clarity. After a couple of routine saves, from a Ben Gibson header and long-range shot from Fabio, the Belgian made one brilliant stop to prevent Viktor Fischer blasting the ball inside his near post.

Daily Mail

After 72 hours of the news agenda being driven by Karius’ erratic form, Klopp decided no good could have come from subjecting him to an ordeal on the barren banks of the Tees, at a venue where Liverpool historically falter. As it turned out, this became the easiest game of the campaign for any Liverpool goalkeeper, so dominant were the outfield players, so totally ruthless when the chances came, it made no difference who was standing between the posts at Middlesbrough.

BBC Sport

The gulf in class between these two teams was clear. Often keeping possession with 10 home shirts behind the ball, Liverpool waited for key moments to inject pace into attacks with devastating effect.